JP2005310949A - Exterior body joining member and joining structure using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve durability and manufacturing efficiency in a casing by preventing the occurrence of damage from the end of an exterior in an exterior junction member for assembling the casing by joining the exterior such as electronic equipment, and to provide a junction structure using the exterior junction member. <P>SOLUTION: An annular frame body is formed by a frame 3 having an H-shaped section in which side guides 3a, and the like are extended from the end of a web 3b, the ends of a front cover 1 and a rear cover 2 made of the molding of a compressed wood is pushed into a U-shaped groove in the frame 3 for engagement, and the end faces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are received by the web 3b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an exterior body bonding member and a bonding structure using the same. For example, the present invention relates to an exterior body bonding member suitable for forming a casing of an electronic device and the like, and a bonding structure using the same.

For example, an exterior body of an electronic device such as an electronic device such as a camera, a mobile phone, an IC recorder, or a PDA, or a remote control of a home appliance such as a television, a video deck, an air conditioner, or a projector is a housing that contains an electronic component or an optical component And is a member that contributes to the appearance design of these devices.
Conventionally, the shape of these exterior bodies is made of a relatively thin plate member, shell member, or the like in order to reduce the size and weight of the device. Moreover, as a material, it is common to manufacture with the material suitable for mass production, such as a synthetic resin and a light metal.
On the other hand, these materials such as synthetic resins and light metals have a drawback that they are difficult to adapt to human hands. Therefore, it has been proposed to use natural materials such as wood and bamboo that are familiar to the hand and have a gentle texture that appeals to human sensibility as the exterior body.
When a case is formed by bonding such exterior bodies, bonding is generally performed so that unnecessary gaps are not exposed at the bonding portion. For example, in the case of a synthetic resin or metal exterior body, the exterior body is joined by overlapping the front end of each exterior body in the thickness direction by providing a thin slope in the front end direction or by providing a step bending portion.
Further, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a housing constituent material for an electronic device made of a wood material and carbonized on its surface, and uses a wood after assembling a circuit unit and a photographing unit to a chassis. A camera covered with a thin shell-like front cover and rear cover is disclosed. In addition, the front cover and the rear cover are provided with a slant that is thinned in the tip direction at the end, and one slanted part enters the other slanted part, and is overlapped and joined in the plate thickness direction.
JP 2004-64021 A (page 2-4, FIG. 1)

However, the conventional exterior joint structure as described above has the following problems.
In the conventional joining structure, the ends of the exterior body are thinned, and the ends are joined to each other. Therefore, for example, a weak material such as synthetic resin or wood easily damages the end of the exterior body. ing. Therefore, there is a problem that assembly is troublesome and manufacturing efficiency is inferior.
In particular, when wood having low strength and large strength unevenness is used as an exterior body, there is a problem that cracks are likely to occur if the thin ends are exposed, and breakage easily occurs even at low stress.
In particular, as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when a wood outer body collected in a shell shape is collected from natural wood, the cross section of the fiber is exposed at the end face, and the bonding force between the fibers is weak, so that it may crack. There is a problem that it is easily peeled off.
And there exists a problem of the deformation | transformation by the moisture absorption from an end surface.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. For example, when an electronic device or the like is used, or when a casing is assembled by joining an exterior body, damage from the end of the exterior body or moisture absorption is achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exterior body joining member that can prevent the above-described problem and improve the durability and manufacturing efficiency of the housing, and a joining structure using the exterior body joining member.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the invention according to claim 1, an end of a plurality of exterior bodies including an exterior body made of wood is joined at least on an end side to be joined, and the housing of the electronic device And an end surface abutting portion provided so as to be able to abut against end surfaces of the respective end portions of the exterior bodies to be joined to each other, and a plate thickness direction of the respective end portions It is set as the structure provided with at least any one of the side surface guide part provided along the side surface.
According to the present invention, when joining a plurality of exterior bodies including an exterior body made of wood, at least the end part to be joined has an end face abutting part, the end face abutting part has an end of the exterior body. The end surface can be protected by abutting or approaching the end surface of the part. Moreover, when it has a side guide part, while being able to protect the edge part of an exterior body, positioning of the edge part of an exterior body can be made easy.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the outer end of the exterior body and moisture absorption during assembly and use.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the exterior body bonding member according to the first aspect, at least one of the end surface abutting portion and the side surface guide portion is annularly connected.
According to the present invention, since at least one of the end face abutting portion and the side surface guide portion is connected in a ring shape, it is possible to resist the external force in the annular radial direction, and the end portion of the exterior body is connected in the annular radial direction. It can be reinforced against external forces.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the exterior body joining member according to the first or second aspect, a fixing means for detachably fixing the exterior body is provided on the side guide portion.
According to this invention, since the fixing means is provided on the side surface guide portion of the exterior body joining member, the load on the exterior body can be reduced when the exterior body is fixed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the exterior body bonding member according to any one of the first to third aspects, the end surface abutting portion or the side surface guide portion is formed from the side surface of the exterior body end portion. It is set as the structure protruded outside.
According to the present invention, since the end surface abutting portion or the side surface guide portion protrudes outward from the side surface of the exterior body end portion, direct impact from the outside to the vicinity or the region covered by the side surface guide portion is prevented. be able to.

In invention of Claim 5, in the exterior body joining member in any one of Claims 1-4, the said side surface guide part is provided so that the edge part of the said exterior body can be clamped in a plate | board thickness direction And
According to this invention, since the edge part of an exterior body can be clamped in a plate | board thickness direction by a side surface guide part, an exterior body edge part can be reliably protected from external force.

In invention of Claim 6, it is a joining structure for forming the housing | casing of an electronic device, Comprising: Using the exterior body joining member in any one of Claims 1-5, the side of the side joined at least It is set as the structure which joined the edge part of the some exterior body containing the exterior body which an edge part consists of wood.
According to this invention, the edge part of the some exterior body containing the exterior body which the edge part by the side joined at least using the exterior body joining member in any one of Claims 1-5 consists of wood is joined. Therefore, it has the same effect as the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

In the invention according to claim 7, in the joining structure according to claim 6, the exterior body joining member is formed of a material having a strength higher than that of the wood at the end of the exterior body to be joined; To do.
According to this invention, at least the end of the exterior body made of wood having relatively low strength is formed by using the exterior body joining member made of a material whose strength is higher than that of the exterior body made of wood. Can be protected from external forces.

  According to the exterior body joining member and the joint structure using the same according to the present invention, when the exterior body joining member has an end surface abutting portion, the end surface of the exterior body end portion is provided. Since the side surfaces in the plate thickness direction of the end portions can be protected from external force and moisture absorption from the outside can be prevented, even if the material of the exterior body includes relatively low-strength wood, the exterior body It is possible to prevent the occurrence of damage to the end portion and moisture absorption from the end portion, thereby improving the durability and manufacturing efficiency of the housing.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings, even if the embodiments are different, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and common description is omitted.
FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view for explaining a digital camera in which an exterior body is joined using an exterior body joining member according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a schematic configuration of the exterior system of the digital camera of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC. FIG. 4C is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the common XYZ rectangular coordinate system is described. In this coordinate system, when the right side of the camera is held and the front is photographed, the direction toward the front is the Z direction, the direction toward the left is the X direction, and the upper vertical direction is the Y direction. In the following, for the sake of simplicity, the relative direction may be described with reference to this coordinate system.

The exterior body joining member according to the embodiment of the present invention joins end portions of a plurality of exterior bodies to form a casing, and is suitable for, for example, a digital camera 100 (electronic device) as shown in FIG. It can be used for.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the schematic configuration of the housing of the digital camera 100 includes a rear cover 2 (exterior body), a front cover 1 (exterior body), and a frame 3 (exterior body joining member).
This housing incorporates well-known optical parts, mechanism parts, electrical parts, and the like used for the digital camera as a covering as required. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the built-in flash 6, the viewfinder 7, the photographing unit 21, the liquid crystal display unit 24, the control electrical unit 23, the circuit unit 25, the memory card 27, the battery 29, the barrier switch 26, and the like. Is provided. Part of the object to be covered is exposed to the outside from the openings provided in the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the photographing unit 21 includes a lens group 21a, a mirror 21c, and a lens group 21b that are held by a lens barrel 21d and constitute a zoom lens optical system, and a CCD 22 that is an image pickup device disposed on the image plane. It consists of.
The lens group 21a is a fixed group disposed on the most object side.
The lens group 21b is a moving group in which at least a part is held movably by the zooming mechanism 21e on the optical path folded by the mirror 21c.
With such a configuration, the photographing unit 21 can perform zooming without protruding from the housing.

The lens barrier 5 is for covering the front surface of the lens group 21a when not photographing, and is a plate member such as an ellipse or an oblong plate having a size capable of closing the photographing opening 1a. Or made of metal.
In the assembled state, the minor axis direction of an ellipse or an ellipse is guided to a lens barrier guide 12c described later. On the lens barrier 5, a pin 5 a is erected in the positive direction of the Z axis, and the pin 5 a is inserted through the slide hole 1 g in an assembled state and connected to the slide lever 4.
Therefore, the lens barrier 5 can be moved by moving the slide lever 4 outside the housing.

  The barrier switch 26 is for turning on / off the power of the digital camera 100 in accordance with the movement of the lens barrier 5, and the switch lever 26 a can freely move forward and backward along the movement path of the lens barrier 5 as shown in FIG. 3. The circuit is cut off when the lens barrier 5 covers the photographing opening 1a, and the circuit is closed when the lens barrier 5 is retracted from the photographing opening 1a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rear cover 2 has a box-like shape having a substantially uniform thickness that is open in the positive direction of the Z axis and is surrounded by four side surfaces around a substantially rectangular bottom plate portion 2E parallel to the XY plane. It is said that.
At the front ends of the four side surfaces, a left end 2A and a right end 2C are formed in the X-axis positive / negative direction, respectively, and an upper end 2B and a lower end 2D are formed in the Y-axis positive / negative direction, respectively. The end faces of these end portions are substantially aligned with a plane parallel to the XY plane.

  The upper end 2B is provided with a notch 2a cut out in a substantially semicircular shape from the end surface in the vicinity of the right end 2C, and the lower end 2D is formed in a substantially semicircular shape from the end surface at the center. A notch 2b that is notched is provided.

  The bottom plate portion 2E is provided with a display opening 2c for disposing the liquid crystal display unit 24 so that it can be seen from the outside of the housing, and the operation button 23a is placed on the left side (X-axis positive direction) outside. Opening portions 2d for operation section for projecting are provided.

As the material of the rear cover 2, it is possible to employ wood, light metal (aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, magnesium, etc.), synthetic resin (ABS, polycarbonate, acrylic, etc.), etc. that can be subjected to press molding, injection molding and the like. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which wood is used that has excellent hygroscopicity and has a superior design aspect using the natural texture.
The wood used in this embodiment is a compressed wood that has been increased in density by compression molding to improve strength.

In compression molding, for example, natural wood is cut into a thick wall relative to the rear cover 2 to produce an original shape, and compression molding is performed in a high-temperature steam atmosphere using a mold, and the shape of the mold surface is transferred. It can be carried out. In this way, a thin shell member is obtained in which the grain line G is exposed on the surface, and the inside has a higher strength than the original wood.
The notches 2a and 2b, the display opening 2c, the operation portion opening 2d, and the like can be formed by secondary processing after compression molding.
In the present embodiment, since the original shape is carved out from the mesh material as the rear cover 2, the cross section of the fiber is exposed at the end face particularly at the left end 2A and the right end 2C, and the bonding force between the fibers is weak. It is easy to crack and peel off.

  If necessary, the surface of the rear cover 2 may be provided with a carbonized layer or a coating layer, or a pattern, unevenness, or the like may be secondarily processed. Further, a different material such as synthetic resin, synthetic rubber, or metal may be embedded or bonded.

  Examples of wood types include camellia, camellia leaf, paulownia, teak, mahogany, cedar, pine, cherry, and bamboo. It is also possible to use not only lumber wood but also wood materials such as compression processed materials obtained by collecting and hardening waste chips and wood flour.

The front cover 1 is a molded product using compressed wood similar to the rear cover 2, and as shown in FIG. 2, there are four side surfaces around a substantially rectangular bottom plate portion 1 </ b> E that is mostly parallel to the XY plane. The box shape has a substantially uniform wall thickness that is enclosed and opened in the negative direction of the Z-axis. However, the front cover 1 uses an original shape cut out from the plate material so that a complicated curved grain line G can be obtained in order to increase the design. However, in this case as well, as with the rear cover 2, the strength of the end portion varies depending on the way in which the grain of the end surface overlaps.
At the tips of the four side surfaces, a left end 1A and a right end 1C are formed in the X-axis positive / negative direction, respectively, and an upper end 1B and a lower end 1D are formed in the Y-axis positive / negative direction, respectively. The end faces of these end portions are substantially aligned with a plane parallel to the XY plane.

The upper end 1B is provided with a notch 1e cut out in a substantially semicircular shape from the end surface in the vicinity of the right end 1C, and the lower end 1D is formed in a substantially semicircular shape from the end surface at the center. A cutout 1h (see FIG. 4C) is provided.
In the assembled state, the notch 1e is for forming a substantially circular hole facing the notch 2a of the rear cover 2, and the notch 1h is also for forming a substantially circular hole facing the notch 2b. belongs to.
An insertion hole 1f for inserting / removing the memory card 27 is provided in the vicinity of the end face of the right end 1C along the end face. The hole cover 9 is detachably attached to the insertion hole 1f.
In the vicinity of the right end 1C of the bottom plate 1E, a grip 1b that swells in a semicircular shape in the positive direction of the Z-axis is formed.

The bottom plate 1E is provided with a photographing opening 1a for taking incident light corresponding to the lens opening of the photographing unit 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the photographing opening 1 a has an inclined surface whose diameter is reduced stepwise in the thickness direction, and its surface is carbonized to prevent stray light.
Corresponding to the finder 7 and the built-in flash 6, there are provided a finder opening 1c and a flash opening 1d for fitting the respective tips.
A slide hole 1g extending along the X-axis direction is provided between the photographing opening 1a and the grip portion 1b. A pin 5a of a lens barrier 5 disposed inside the front cover 1 can be inserted into the slide hole 1g.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the schematic shape of the frame 3 is a bar with an H-shaped cross section in which a side guide 3a (side guide part) is provided as a flange on the web 3b (end face abutting part). The cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are bent in accordance with a substantially rectangular opening formed by each end portion to form an annular frame (see FIG. 2). In FIG. 2, a part is broken to show a cross section.
The web 3b and the side guides 3a and 3a form U-shaped grooves that can sandwich the end portions of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, respectively. When the web 3b is assembled by pressing the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 between the side guides 3a and 3a from the Z-axis direction, at least a part of each end face can be abutted. 2 can be regulated in the pushing direction.

  However, the web 3b may be provided with a sealing member for waterproofing, moisture-proofing, dust-proofing, etc. In this case, the end surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are abutted against the web 3b via the sealing member. But you can.

The frame 3 has a release button mounting portion 18 and a screw portion 19 that are difficult to provide directly when the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are made of wood.
The release button mounting portion 18 is provided to guide the release button 8 that is pressed in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 2, and the side guide 3a is provided on the outer periphery of the upper and lower ends of the guide cylinder 18b to which the release button 8 is fitted. A side guide 18a extending from the side is provided.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the guide cylinder 18b and the side guides 18a and 18a form a groove that is U-shaped in cross section and curved in a semicircular arc shape in the ZX plane direction. When the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are assembled by pushing them into the frame 3 in the Z-axis direction, the cutouts 1e and 2a can be inserted along the respective groove portions.

The screw portion 19 is for screwing a stand mounting screw 10 (see FIG. 2) provided on a tripod or the like that supports the digital camera 100. The screw portion 19 faces downward to the center portion on the lower side (Y-axis negative direction) of the frame 3. It consists of a boss 19b having an opening and a side guide 19a extending from the side guide 3a on the outer periphery thereof. Inside the opening of the boss 19b, a female screw 19c that is screwed onto the stand mounting screw 10 is formed.
The outer peripheral portion of the boss 19b and the side surface guides 19a and 19a form a groove portion that is U-shaped in cross section and curved in a semicircular arc shape in the ZX plane direction. When the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are assembled by pushing them into the frame 3 in the Z-axis direction, the notches 1h and 2b can be inserted along the respective groove portions.

  As the material of the frame 3, synthetic resin, metal, etc. having higher strength than the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be adopted.

A support frame 11 (support member) is fixed to the inner peripheral side of the frame 3.
When the casing is assembled, the support frame 11 is placed in contact with or close to the inner surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, and when the external force is applied to the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, It is a reinforcing member for suppressing deformation to the inner surface side and preventing damage. When arranged close to each other, an appropriate gap can be provided in close proximity according to the allowable deformation amount according to the strength of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2.
As a method for fixing the support frame 11, an appropriate method such as welding, caulking, or screw fastening can be used.

In this embodiment, the support frame 11 includes front frames 15a, 16a, and 17a, rear frames 15b, 16b, and 17b, and a lens barrier housing portion 12, and is mainly configured as a frame structure using a rod member having a rectangular cross section. ing.
The front frames 15 a and 16 a and the rear frames 15 b and 16 b are arranged at intervals in the middle portion of the frame 3 in the longitudinal direction, and are laid between spans in the short direction of the frame 3. It is a substantially U-shaped member along the curve of the inner surface of the. The front frame 15a is disposed at a position corresponding to the left side (X-axis positive direction) of the photographing opening 1a, and the front frame 16a is disposed at an intermediate position between the grip portion 1b and the photographing opening 1a.
The front frame 17a and the rear frame 17b are arranged at an intermediate portion in the short direction of the frame 3 and are respectively installed between the front frame 16a, the rear frame 16b, and the frame 3, and the bottom plate portions 1E and 2E It is a substantially L-shaped member that is curved along the inner surface. However, the front frame 17a is provided with a curve in which an L-shaped refracting portion protrudes in an arc shape because of the grip portion 1b.

The lens barrier storage unit 12 stores the lens barrier 5 between the front cover 1 and holds it movably in the X-axis direction. The lens barrier guide surface 12b provided at a position slightly lower than the thickness of the lens barrier 5 from the front surface (the surface facing the bottom plate portion 1E) of the front frames 15a and 16a, and the intermediate portion of the front frame 15a. A distance between the lens barrier stopper 12a having a curve for locking the end portion in the major axis direction of the lens barrier 5 and a slightly larger width than the minor axis width of the lens barrier 5 in the Y-axis direction between the front frame 15a and the front frame 16a. The lens barrier guides 12c and 12c are opened and opened. The front surface of the lens barrier guide 12c is aligned with the front frames 15a and 16a.
The lens barrier guide surface 12 b is provided with an opening 14 at a position corresponding to the lens opening of the photographing unit 21.

Such a support frame 11 is a stress transmission member that disperses an external force applied through the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 and transmits it to the frame 3 by being fixed integrally with the frame 3.
Further, by being installed between the frames 3, it is also a structural member that loads an external force from the outer peripheral direction of the frame 3.
Moreover, according to the structure connected like a ring like the front frame 15a, the rear frame 15b, the front frame 16a, and the rear frame 16b, it can resist external force with a ring structure, and the load on the frame 3 is reduced. It is convenient because it can.

  Various objects to be covered in the housing can be brought into contact with or fixed to the frame 3 and the support frame 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the control electrical component 23 is attached to the rear frame 15b. The battery case 29a is attached across the rear frame 16b and the frame 3. The card holder 28 is attached to the front frame 16a and the front frame 17a. In addition, members whose attachment counterparts are not shown in FIG. 3 are also fixed to holding members (not shown) attached to the frame 3 and the support frame 11.

Next, the joining structure of the front cover 1, the rear cover 2, and the frame 3 according to this embodiment and the operation thereof will be described.
Since the digital camera 100 needs to be repaired by opening the case at the time of failure, the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are detachably fixed to the frame 3. Although not shown in FIG. 2 to make the drawing easy to see, the frame 3 is provided with fixing means at appropriate positions.
FIGS. 5A, 5 </ b> B, and 5 </ b> C are cross-sectional views for explaining fixing means that can be employed in the present embodiment.
In the following description, it is free to provide the fixing means on the front cover 1 side, the rear cover 2 side, or both in a certain cross section. It demonstrates as what fixes to 2 side. If the following rear cover 2 and bottom plate portion 2E are read as the front cover 1 and the bottom plate portion 1E, the front cover 1 side is fixed.

A fixing portion 30A (fixing means) shown in FIG. 5A is for fixing the rear cover 2 with a screw 50 at a position adjacent to the side guide 3a on the outside of the housing. And it is comprised from the side surface guide 3a of the inner surface side of a housing | casing with respect to the side surface guide 3a which opposes so that it may become length more than the screw head diameter of the bis | screw 50, and the protrusion piece which has a width | variety suitably in a paper surface depth direction Is done. The fixing portion 30 </ b> A is formed with a female screw 30 a that is screwed into the screw 50.
On the other hand, the rear cover 2 is provided with a through-hole 32a through which the screw 50 is inserted at a position overlapping the female screw 30a when the rear cover 2 is pushed into contact with the web 3b.
With such a configuration, the rear cover 2 can be screwed in close contact with the side guide 3a and the fixing portion 30A on the inner surface side of the housing.
If it does in this way, only the through-hole 32a should just be processed in the rear cover 2, and it is not necessary to raise a tap. Therefore, even a low-strength material such as wood can be repeatedly attached and detached, and a joining structure with excellent durability can be obtained.

In the example shown in FIG. 5 (b), in addition to the fixing portion 30A, an outer fixing portion 30B (fixing means) is extended from the side guide 3a on the outside of the housing at the facing position. The outer fixing portion 30B is provided with a through hole 30b through which the screw 50 is inserted coaxially with the female screw 30a.
With such a configuration, the screw 50 is inserted through the through hole 30b and the through hole 32a of the rear cover 2, and then the screw 50 is screwed, and the rear cover 2 is clamped and fixed by the fixing portion 30A and the outer fixing portion 30B. be able to.
In this way, the stress due to the screw head of the screw 50 can be received by the outer fixing portion 30B and dispersed in the rear cover 2, so that the rear cover 2 can be prevented from being damaged by the screw tightening stress. .

In the example shown in FIG. 5C, the rear cover 2 can be fixed by the bottom plate portion 2E instead of the side surface, and instead of the fixing portion 30A, the position overlaps the bottom plate portion 2E along the curve of the rear cover 2. A curved fixing portion 30C extending up to is provided. And the internal thread 30a is provided in the position which overlaps with the baseplate part 2E, and the through-hole 32a is provided in the baseplate part 2E corresponding to the position.
With such a configuration, the rear cover 2 can be fixed from the rear side (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 2) that matches the fitting direction. Therefore, there exists an advantage that an assembly becomes easy.

Further, as a modification of such fixing means, a frame 35 (exterior body joining member) shown in FIG.
The frame 35 is provided with a side guide 35 a (side guide) instead of the side guide 3 a of the frame 3. The side guides 35a and 35a are elastically formed on the side surface of the exterior body by forming a fitting portion 35c whose opposing tip is narrower than the thickness of the exterior body and pushing the engagement portion 35c outward when the exterior body is fitted. The power can be energized.
In the example of FIG. 5D, the fitting portion 35c is formed by providing a protrusion 35b on the inner side of the tip of the side guide 35a.
On the other hand, the covers 36 and 37 fitted into the frame 35 are provided with a taper 36b at the tip, and fitting grooves 36a and 36a into which the protrusion 35b is fitted when the tip is close to the web 3b.
With such a configuration, the exterior body can be easily fixed without using a fastening member such as a screw.

According to the joining structure for joining the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 using the frame 3 of the present embodiment, the side surfaces of the end portions of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are guided by the side guides 3a and 3a, and the end faces are Since it abuts against the web 3b, it is possible to protect the end of the exterior body from external force. As a result, scratches and cracks from the end face and the end face in the thickness direction can be prevented, and durability can be improved. In particular, as in the present embodiment, the exterior structure has a joining structure suitable for the case where compressed wood is used that tends to cause variations in strength at the ends.
In addition, since the abutting portions of the front cover 1, the rear cover 2 and the web 3b are doubly covered by the side guides 3a and 3a over the entire circumferential direction of the end portions, good light shielding properties can be obtained without using a light shielding member. There is an advantage that can be obtained.

Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.
FIGS. 6 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) are first, second, third, fourth, and fifth modifications of the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating. FIG. 7 is an explanatory side view for explaining a sixth modification of the embodiment of the present invention and an EE cross-sectional view thereof.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the frame 38 (exterior body joining member) of the first modification of the present embodiment deletes the side guide 3a exposed to the outside of the casing in the frame 3, and The side guides 3a and 3a are left inside, and a protrusion 38b is provided instead of the web 3b to form a T-shaped cross section. The protruding portion 38b is protruded to a height that is equal to or greater than the thickness of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2.
With such a configuration, the end surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be abutted against the protrusions 38b from the side surfaces, so that the end surfaces are protected and assembly is facilitated. Moreover, when the protrusion part 38b protrudes outside rather than the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, the end part side surface of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 becomes difficult to be hit | damaged directly, and is convenient.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the frame 39 (exterior body joining member) of the second modified example of the present embodiment deletes the side guide 3a exposed inside the casing in the frame 3, and The side guides 3a and 3a are left outside, and a protrusion 39b is provided instead of the web 3b to form a T-shaped cross section. The protrusion 39b may be higher or lower than the thickness as long as the end surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be abutted against each other. There is an advantage that the internal space can be used effectively and the space is saved.
With such a configuration, the end surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be brought into contact with the side surfaces of the protrusions 39b, so that the end surfaces are protected and assembly is facilitated. Further, since the side guides 3a and 3a protrude outward from the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, the side surfaces of the end portions of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are reliably protected, and durability can be improved.

  The cross-sectional shape of the frame 40 (exterior body bonding member) of the third modification of the present embodiment is illustrated with respect to the abutting portion 40b (end surface abutting portion), as shown in FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (d). Side guides 40a and 40a (side guides) protrude in a stepwise manner in the left-right direction, and on the rear cover 2 side, the side guide 40a sinks along the inside of the rear cover 2, and the abutting part 40b is exposed to the outside of the housing. On the front cover 1 side, the side guide 40a covers the end of the front cover 1 from the outside, and the abutting portion 40b protrudes inside the housing. The abutting portion 40b protrudes higher than the thickness of the abutting exterior body (the rear cover 2 in FIGS. 6C and 6D) at least outside the housing.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the end portions of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be abutted against the side guides 40a with different thicknesses. Moreover, as shown in FIG.6 (d), an edge part may be made into the step-shaped fitting shape fitted to the side guide 40a and the abutting part 40b, and the external shape of a housing | casing outer side may be substantially aligned.
With such a configuration, the end surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are abutted against the abutting portion 40b, so that the end surfaces are protected and assembly is facilitated.

As shown in FIG. 6E, the frame 43 (exterior body bonding member) of the fourth modification of the present embodiment is substantially omitted by removing one of the side guides 3a exposed to the outside of the casing in the frame 3. It has a U-shaped cross section.
According to such a configuration, the rear cover 2 has the effects of the present embodiment, and the front cover 1 has the same effects as the first modification.

As shown in FIG. 6 (f), the frames 51 and 52 (exterior body joining members) of the fifth modification of the present embodiment have an annular shape corresponding to the side guides 3 a and 3 a in the frame 3, and the front cover 1. In a state where the end surfaces of the rear cover 2 are abutted against each other, the vicinity of the end surfaces can be sandwiched and fixed in the plate thickness direction. That is, this modification is an example of an exterior joining member that includes only the side surface guide portion without the end surface abutting portion.
The front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be appropriately fixed. For example, at an appropriate position in the circumferential direction, a through hole is provided in the frame 51 and a female screw is provided in the frame 52. A means for providing a notch and fixing with a screw 53 can be employed.
According to such a configuration, the frame 51 can protect the ends of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 from external force.
The frames 51 and 52 may be separate bodies, but in order to further improve assemblability, the frames 51 and 52 are preferably joined at any position in the circumferential direction in order to maintain a radial gap. . For example, it is preferable to have a configuration in which a specific position is joined so as to have an H-shaped cross section. In that case, you may use the member to join for an end surface abutting part.

In the above description, the frame 3 has been described as an annular frame body, but may be divided in the circumferential direction of the outer body end portion as necessary. For example, among the end portions of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, it may be provided only at the end portion having a relatively low strength.
In such a case, in a part where the frame 3 is not disposed, light shielding, dust proofing and the like are performed by an appropriate member as necessary.
As such an example, FIGS. 7A and 7B show a sixth modification of the present embodiment.
Frames 46 and 47 (exterior body joining members) are obtained by appropriately dividing the frame 3 in the circumferential direction, and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The side guide 3a has side guides 46a and 47a (side guide portions), and the web 3b has webs 46b and 47b (end face abutting portions). The ends of the opposing frames 46 and 47 are provided with a U-shaped opening notch 44 whose front end is open on the front cover 1 side, and the opening notch 45 is also provided on the rear cover 2 side. The end faces of 46 and 47 cover these notches to form a rectangular opening 48 that spans the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2.

Such an opening 48 is suitable as an opening for inserting and removing a member having a rectangular cross section such as a memory card or a connector. In the case where openings are provided on the side surfaces of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2, in the case of relatively low-strength compressed wood or the like, the strength cannot be provided near the end portion. In addition, an opening can be easily provided. At this time, if the end portions of the frames 46 and 47 are used as a part of the opening as in this modification, the opening notches 44 and 45 need only be used as a part of the opening. There is an advantage that you can.
Further, according to this modification, the opening cover can be attached using the ends of the relatively high-strength frames 46 and 47, so that there is an advantage that the durability of attachment / detachment can be improved. .

  In the above description, the release button mounting portion 18, the screw portion 19, and the support frame 11 are provided in the frame 3, but in addition, connectors insertion / removal holes, battery replacement holes, their lids, An appropriate functional shape and functional member such as a hinge can be provided. By providing such a functional shape and functional member on the frame 3, the shapes of the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 can be simplified, and it is possible to use even wood that is inferior in formability compared to synthetic resin or metal. There is an advantage.

In the above description, the frame 3 has been described as an annular frame. In this way, stress can be borne against the external force from the outer periphery of the frame 3.
However, the side guide 3a and the web 3b are not necessarily continuous over the entire circumference. For example, it may be deformed into a cross section as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6E at an appropriate cross-sectional position.

  In the above description, both the front cover 1 and the rear cover 2 are described as compressed wood, but one of them may be made of a different material such as a light metal. Since each end surface is in contact with the web 3b, it does not come into contact with each other and is not damaged. At that time, if the distance between the side guides 3a is changed, there is an advantage that the difference in the plate thickness due to the difference in the material can be easily absorbed.

  In the above description, the exterior body joint member of the present invention and the joint structure using the exterior body joint member have been described as an example that can be used for a digital camera that is an example of an electronic device. It is suitable for all electronic devices such as air conditioners, remote controls such as projectors, mobile phones, IC recorders, and PDAs. In particular, the use of wood as an exterior body makes the present invention extremely suitable for electronic devices that are held and operated with a hand that provides hygroscopicity and good tactile sensation.

It is an isometric view explanatory drawing for demonstrating the digital camera which joined the exterior body using the exterior body joining member which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view for demonstrating schematic structure of the exterior system of the digital camera of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. FIG. 3 is a BB cross-sectional view, a CC cross-sectional view in FIG. 1, and a DD cross-sectional view in FIG. 2. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the fixing means which can be employ | adopted for this embodiment. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th modification of embodiment of this invention. It is side surface explanatory drawing for demonstrating the 6th modification of embodiment of this invention, and its EE sectional drawing.

Explanation of symbols

1 Front cover (exterior body)
1A, 2A Left end (end of exterior body)
1B, 2B Upper end (end of exterior body)
1C, 2C Right end (end of exterior body)
1D, 2D Lower end (end of exterior body)
2 Rear cover (exterior body)
3, 35, 38, 39, 40, 43, 46, 47, 51, 52 Frame (Exterior Body Joining Member)
3a, 18a, 19a, 35a, 40a Side guide (side guide)
3b Web (end face abutting part)
5 Lens barrier 11 Support frame (support member)
18 Release button mounting portion 19 Threaded portion 21 Shooting unit 21a Lens group 30A Fixing portion (fixing means)
30B Outside fixing part (fixing means)
30C curve fixing part (fixing means)
30a Female thread 35c Fitting part 38b, 39b Protruding part (end face abutting part)
40b Abutting part (end face abutting part)
53 screw 100 digital camera (electronic equipment)
G Wood line

Claims (7)

An exterior body joining member for joining the end portions of a plurality of exterior bodies including an exterior body made of wood at least on the end side to be joined,
At least an end surface abutting portion provided so as to be able to abut on an end surface of each end portion of the exterior body to be joined to each other, and a side guide portion provided along a side surface in the plate thickness direction of each end portion An exterior body bonding member comprising any one of the above.   The exterior body joining member according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the end surface abutting portion and the side surface guide portion is connected in a ring shape.   The exterior body joining member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a fixing means for removably securing the exterior body is provided on the side guide portion.   The exterior body joining member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the end surface abutting portion or the side surface guide portion protrudes to the outside of the exterior body from a side surface of the exterior body end portion. .   The exterior body joining member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the side guide portion is provided so as to be able to sandwich an end portion of the exterior body in a plate thickness direction.   In order to form the housing | casing of an electronic device, the exterior body joining member in any one of Claims 1-5 is used, The some exterior body containing the exterior body which the edge part by the side to be joined at least consists of wood Joining structure characterized by joining the end portions of the.   The joining structure according to claim 6, wherein the exterior body joining member is formed of a material having a strength higher than that of wood at an end of the exterior body to be joined.

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